Raising A Litter of Puppies
Raising a litter of puppies is no small task. Properly done, you can raise well adjusted and purposefully bred dogs for families to enjoy. I raised my first litter at 12 years old, and since then have raised several others. Raising puppies is a grueling but rewarding job, from the initial planning of the litter to the time they leave for their homes. Raising purposefully purebred dogs and preserving historic breeds requires health testing, careful choosing of the parents, whelping and raising of the puppies, screening of potential homes, and then providing a lifetime of support for that dog should anything happen to it, or it's owners.
My current litter is now almost 6 weeks old. I had planned the breeding of their parents for over a year before they were born. Both parents of the litter are AKC registered pointers and have competed in dog shows and various performance events throughout the U.S.A and Canada. They were both fully health tested with the OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and they both were specifically chosen for each other because they compliment each other not only conformationally but also in temperament.
The litter was born on August 12th, 2020, just a few days before the start of my senior year of college. It's a bit overwhelming at times trying to keep up with school, the puppies, and my adult dogs, but I enjoy the busyness of it. Getting to raise puppies is a bittersweet experience filled with love, cuddles, exhaustion, and LOTS of cleaning. I swear I clean my house everyday, only to do it again the next! I am very particular when it comes to how the puppies are raised, and thanks to my co-breeder and mentor in pointers, we are able to make sure the puppies have as many experiences as possible before they go to their new homes.
Almost all the puppies in this litter had homes before they were born, due to their parents show careers, temperaments, and pedigrees there was many people interested in getting a puppy. There were 7 girls and 1 boy born, all were very strong and fat right from the beginning.
I have a close friend at school who is a very talented photographer, so I have been using his skills to have photos taken of the puppies as they grow. While I only have a few weeks left until they start leaving for their homes, I am enjoying every day that I get with them, and making sure I have plenty and photos and videos of their growth.
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